Monday, July 30, 2007

Wedding Venues Galore

The tours we took on Saturday were pretty good. I definitely have yet to put a down payment on a place yet though since I was not blown away impressed yet. The Glastonbury Hills Country Club was okay. I think it'd be a better place for "reception only" since their gazebo is nothing special and it's like 20 feet from the road. It just happened that they took all the pictures of it from a flattering angle so you can't see it's proximity to the road and parking lot. The inside is okay. I like that they have a "coffee nook" that's a little removed from the dinner area where people can chill out but it could use a coat of paint to really refresh the room.

We then toured The Pavilions at Crystal Lake, and that was much better. The lake is gorgeous and a beautiful photo opp. The grounds are however not terribly lush. The trees that surround the gazebo area where they typically have ceremonies is very sparse and covered in pine needles. The "aisle" is all gravel, like the kind you'd find on someone's driveway so it definitely would need to be covered by a cloth path. I do like that the gazebo is well removed from the banquet facility. And since it's in the woods a little it feels intimate. It only comes with two sets of benches so you'd have to rent your own chairs; the facility does not offer any of their own to rent. I feel like the place has a lot of good potential. I just also feel like I'd have to pay a really good florist to "fill in the blanks" where the facility itself is bare. The inside is also very straightforward. It's all one room. No bridal suite. There is a little "balcony" if you can call it that. The word balcony evokes a romantic feeling, but it's more like a little loft area. They fit two tables up there for overflow, but I feel like it'd be a good kids corner where they can be chaotic and have fun apart from the adults. The inside is ALL wood. It's not dark, but it's all wood and therefore has a very traditional, country feeling to it. I'm not entirely sold on it because I think Trevor and I are a little more modern but again, with a good florist they could probably fill in the space in a more Kelly friendly way.

I'm looking to take Trevor to see Mill on The River in South Windsor. I haven't been there, which is unusual since it's so nearby and it seems everyone else has. They have very affordable packages and compared to other places I could get a lot more food and drink. As long as they look nice enough to get married at it's one of the more convenient and budget friendly options available to me. I don't love the fact that it's a restaurant and will be very busy on date nights, but Trevor seems to want to have a luncheon-type wedding over a late night reception so it might bode well for this particular facility since lunch is sure to be much slower than dinner.

In non wedding news I got a pair of 7 for all Mankind jeans in the mail. They fit like a glove, and then add in the fact that they're skinny jeans and I'm in love. I'm one of few who really dig skinny jeans; probably because I'm skinny and I think it makes my legs look 10 miles long. You definitely cannot wear sneakers with these kind of jeans. It evokes an ubber glam feeling of the 80's without all the pesky big hair.

Trevor's mom and aunt have already inquired about where we're registered. Since we've yet to find an adequate place to be wed I'm a tad confused about why they'd care about where we're registered. Trevor's sort of anti registry because we have an adequate kitchen. Thanks to work I received hundreds of dollars in gift cards and I used all of them to either fill our kitchen or the lighting in our apartment. So I really didn't break the bank on my kitchenware because it was primarily paid for by my employer as a reward for great customer service. And then my mom bought my rice cooker, steamer, coffee grinder and mini food processor.

I could use a few upgrades, but they aren't quite as plentiful as a couple that is just starting out. I find it doubtful I'll have more than twenty items on my registry. I really like things that have more than one purpose, so you won't see my registering for a juicer, bread maker, or fondue pot. I'm really quite obsessed with my most recent purchase. It's a Cereal container, but don't let the simpleness of the concept pass you by. It's actually quite an amazing container because it has a total of 3 compartments and an ice ring to keep everything cool. It keeps the milk separate from the dry cereal and you can also have fresh fruit along with it to make it a balanced meal on the go. Since I often find myself forgetting to eat breakfast because I'm rushing out the door it's a great way to bring breakfast along with me without leaks or sogginess. It's a great idea for dieters too because it forces you to portion control.